If you’re not innovating, you’re slowly dying.  Clayton Christensen, author of many innovation books including Disrupting Class said that before he died. The good news is that innovation gurus like Christensen, Dyer, or Senge would argue that at the heart of innovation are only two crucial components: change and associative thinking.  The bad news is that higher education may struggle to both embrace and operationalize both concepts more than almost any other organizational sector. 

Every school has a few innovation “pockets” it likes to showcase.  From pioneering instructors to first-adopter technologists, innovation exists at most schools in small, disconnected ways.  But disparate, silos of innovation are not enough to solve the ‘wicked’ problems education described here.  We need scalable, sustainable, intentional innovation impacting multiple streams of education context (like retention, content delivery, credential rich pathways, instruction, skills wallets, authentic assessment, etc), if we want to stay relevant and successful as teaching and learning organizations.

Join Dr. Jeff Borden, former Chief Innovation Officer, Vice Provost of Learning Experience, and current Dean of the School of Leadership Studies at Gonzaga University as he shares a working model (blueprint) for the architecture of learning innovation, at scale.  Through his Cultural Change Model for Learning Innovation, see and hear about initiatives leveraged in formal, higher education settings, so as to create a culture of Learning Innovation, at scale, throughout entire organizations.  Tying back to the latest frameworks from organizational psychology, creating efficiencies through strategic technology, and tapping into resources across multiple stakeholder groups, this methodology is comprehensive and attainable.  While re-imagining some old processes, strategic Learning Design and Innovation can help us move into the next century, potentially solving some long-term problems and addressing others before they manifest.

Keynote Slides

Many of us instructors have relied on students' essay writing to evaluate their comprehension of content and concepts for decades. With the recent ubiquity of AI language model tools, evaluating student learning through traditional essay development brings new concerns. This session will share classroom-tested methods of assessing students' comprehension with writing assignments and reading strategies other than the traditional college essay.

The planning, process and outcomes of an Augmented Reality (AR) research-based technology project that provided opportunities for authentic life experiences through an immersive learning environment to increase real world understanding by interposing objects that are inaccessible in real life. I worked with my 2nd Grade class to further expand their authentic life experiences, real world understanding, vocabulary, and prior knowledge through the use of the AR iPad applications of Spacecraft AR, CoSpaces, AR Real Animals and Anatomy AR. I introduced a technology journal for students to document what they knew before and after each session.

Wanting to understand how our adult English language learners (L2s) were experiencing learning in a blended synchronous learning environment (BSLE) in order to explore ways to enhance our design model, we surveyed 90 L2s in our ESL courses. Overwhelmingly, 98% preferred face-to-face classes though life circumstances frequently demanded the BLSE option. Exploring these conflicting realities through the lens of second language acquisition theory, we will discuss strategies for engagement and practical tips for using and implementing tools/techniques which build on the Interaction Hypothesis and focus on the areas of facial cues, gestures, belongingness, and academic and social interaction.

West Chester University supports campus sustainability initiatives within IT Operations, Infrastructure, Cybersecurity, and Teaching and Learning spaces.  From our data center to our endpoint devices in offices and classroom, including workflow processes to procure and support them, there is an array of opportunities for improved sustainability.
Learn how IS&T supports campus sustainability initiatives, from designing new buildings to deploying and supporting endpoint devices and technologies for use both on and off campus.

The Student Usability Board has become an integral part of making decisions and gathering feedback from students at Montgomery County Community College. This session provides details surrounding getting approval to start your own board, setting up stipend compensation, recruiting diverse students, managing meetings, and recording and distributing feedback via reports. Learn about some of the trends that we have identified through focus groups with the board, and actions that the College was able to take based off of that feedback. 

Want to craft an impactful online course grounded in Learning Experience Design principles? Dive into this presentation where we'll explore the essentials: alignment, accessibility, managing cognitive load, innovative strategies for student engagement, and much more.

The ways institutions build digital communities today cater to an increasingly hybrid campus. These efforts must encourage better student engagement with support resources and meaningful interactions with faculty and staff, as well as socializing amongst students both in-person or online. It is also important to be able to nurture community inside a one-stop digital environment where the student finds everything else they need. Hear diverse perspectives of professionals working every day to leverage streamlined digital tools and move beyond relying on traditional social media outreach to engage their students.

Modify existing information literacy exercises to engage your students in critical thinking about performing research in the era of generative AI. If successful, they can develop the dispositions necessary to recognize and resist the simulacra of authentic scholarship, think critically about their research inquiries, and meaningfully contribute to the scholarly conversation.

One of the biggest fears for all of us is public speaking. What are some opportunities that could allow us to assist students in developing through it? Join us for the discussion of a pilot project in two Communication courses at Montco that explored how virtual reality could positively impact students' performance and anxiety levels when delivering speeches. Transferred from the classroom to a virtual conference stage, we will walk you through our hypotheses, intentions, and future plans. We will engage in a conversation about both instructor and student feedback and how virtual reality or similar immersive technologies could impact your own course.

Creating a collaborative new online orientation for students is a first step to introducing students to the campus resources and promoting online learning success. Through this collaboration, key departments have added information as well as provided feedback on the content. This session will cover how the orientation was built and how to include key departments in the creation. 

Instructional Designers are often the primary resource for faculty regarding course design. Given the high degree of reliance on instructional design services over the past few years, it's important for designers to have robust toolkits in support of their work. The connection between Instructional Design and fields such as psychology, project management, and computer science is relatively easy to establish. However, designers may rely on crisis management to save a failing project or use improv to help develop a stronger rapport with faculty. This session explores how our lived experiences of other professions can help us enrich our designer's toolkit.

Time is our most precious resource, and we're increasingly more intentional about how and where we spend it.

In a flipped classroom, time spent together is social and active -- focusing on student collaboration, deep learning, and feedback rather than instructor-led content delivery. So, why not flip more campus traditions to maximize the value of time spent at these gatherings? And how can we do this more effectively in virtual settings?

This session will examine how leaders from Fort Hays State University, Missouri Southern State University, and Western Nevada College are flipping orientation, faculty office hours, and other student support services to foster meaningful interactions online.

To build geospatial awareness and use, HACC-Central Pennsylvania's Community College, built and offered an online course and geospatial hub for all employees, called GeoAcademy, that showed how geospatial technology can be leveraged in academics and business practices across the college. As part of this course, participants built content and curriculum for use in their classes or in their role at the college. This session will showcase the content of GeoAcademy, featuring content and curriculum created by participants, and lessons learned.

With the advent of Artificial Intelligence (AI), there lies a transformative potential to revolutionize the way educators approach their daily practices, freeing up valuable time and energy for meaningful interactions with their students. This session aims to dispel common misconceptions about AI and encourage educators to embrace these cutting-edge tools as allies, not replacements. Participants will walk away with a comprehensive understanding of how AI can revolutionize education, allowing them to focus on what they do best inspiring and shaping the minds of future generations “while AI handles the routine tasks that often consume their valuable time. By harnessing the potential of AI, educators can reclaim their passion for teaching, foster student success, and ensure a brighter future for education.

We are thrilled to share with you the groundbreaking revolution happening at IMOD-ED (International Museum of Dance - Education). Through the integration of Vo Cap tech and Mixed Reality, we are creating a transformative space where dance becomes fully understood, abundantly resourced, and widely shared. This innovative collaboration celebrates the captivating history of dance while embracing its vibrant present and envisioning an exciting future.

Our transformative approach to dance education includes holographic applications, elevating learning, observation, and certification experience to a whole new level. Imagine diving into the world of dance with the power of Mixed Reality, all conveniently fitting in the palm of your hand!

Together, we're redefining the future of dance education, bridging the gap between the past, present, and future of this beautiful art form. Join us on this extraordinary journey into the world of dance, where tradition and innovation converge to create a space of limitless possibilities.

Do you ever struggle with finding resources for online science courses? Do you want some helpful resources and guidance with navigating options for creating and using already created resources? This presentation will provide options for online resources, such as virtual simulations available to you for free.

Embark on a journey of collaboration as we delve into "Empowering Industry-Education Partnerships." Discover how eBooks, the modern conduit of knowledge, ignite transformative alliances. Join us to explore how these digital tools unlock new dimensions, forging meaningful partnerships from words to action.

This presentation will present information on micro-lectures and Pecha Kucha. Both are innovative ways to present concise information that will engage the digital learner. Microlectures are video presentations typically less than 10 minutes long. The value of microlectures is that they can engage students, direct their attention, and scaffold the content. PechaKucha is a presentation format that originated in Japan in 2003 in the architecture industry. The word Pecha-Kucha is Japanese for chit-chat. The basic format is to have 20 slides with one image per slide, and no text. Each slide auto-advances after 20 seconds.

The LeX (Learning Experience Design) team has gamified professional development goals. This session will explore our in-house virtual board game to encourage personal PD achievements and more. Explore our six worlds and learn how staff can conquer them to win prizes; some challenges include: conquer the humdrums, battle of the books, and PD deep dive. This presentation will explore how our concept of bringing our team together in an interactive platform became a reality with our in-house instructional and media design team. 

Writing a final research essay has served as a recurrent mode of summative assessment in many liberal arts courses, but particularly in English classes. Due to recent developments in AI technology, instructors are creating assessments beyond essays to ensure student work is authentic and students are meeting outcomes in a meaningful manner. This session will focus on student-produced podcasts as one alternative to the final essay assignment. The session will outline how to build the assignment from start to finish including directions, rubrics, and examples of student work. Podcast assignments can be integrated into a variety of disciplines and lead to critical thinking practice. 

This last year has been a whirlwind of news about generative artificial intelligence (AI) that has caused a stir in higher education. With advancements and new adaptations coming almost daily, one component is clear: the tool is here to stay. Join us for this conversation cafe where we share our suggestions, thoughts, excitement, or fears as we move towards a new era of teaching and learning.

During this session, we will be reviewing best practices on how to: - Raise Referrals, Flags, Kudos and To-Dos that will help students stay on track for completion in your class. - Complete the required Progress and Attendance surveys for each session. - Setup office hours so that students can make appointments with you. During our session, we will be doing a live demonstration on how to use these features. Look forward to talking all things Starfish!

In today's rapidly advancing technological landscape, it can be difficult to keep up with recent technologies and incorporate them into daily routines. There are various Microsoft Suite tools that can help managers facilitate connections with hybrid and on-ground teams. In this session, attendees will learn about tools that can assist in effective communication, promote transparency, and provide recognition to team members. By attending this presentation, managers will gain valuable insights into how to leverage technology to improve team management and collaboration.

As the demand for online education continues to grow, educators must ensure their courses are accessible for all learners – including those with disabilities. This session will explore various aspects of accessibility in online learning, from understanding the challenges diverse learners face to implementing effective strategies to promote inclusivity. Participants will gain valuable insights and practical tips on creating an accessible online learning environment.

DNA LEARNING PROJECT - Monday, Sept 11, 2023
We have developed a new unique and powerful Virtual Reality Learning Application using the Unity Game Engine greatly facilitating the ability of students in both high school and college to understand and work intimately with the fundamentals of DNA. This Application would be most appropriate to be used in the teaching of Chemistry, Biology, Microbiology, and related subject matters. It has been built to run in an Immersive VR CAVE. Our Application contains proprietary software that allows the DNA structure to maintain its distinctive “twisted staircase” structure while being manipulated.